Competition Driving Force Behind Triathlete

It's 5:30 a.m. While most of us are still sound asleep (or hitting the snooze), Doug Clark is training.

For the Manchester, England, native, it's about his competitive nature when explaining how he can train like he does and compete like he does in sometimes over a dozen triathlons a year.

"I like a challenge, it's not so much for health," said Clark, 41, a Morristown resident for 13 years. "If I wasn't competitive I couldn't drag myself out of bed in the morning."

What began as a bonding experience with school friends in his teen years has brought Clark worldwide accolades. He recently won the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon in Pennsylvania and is currently the title-holder in his 40-44-year-old age group for the U.S. National Masters Triathlon and the Ironman competition in Hawaii, which he will be defending this year on Oct. 9. Before that, Clark will be racing at the Short-Course Triathlon World Championships in Budapest. Last year, he was the fastest American amateur at the competition.

A triathlon is a multi-sport event usually consisting of cycling, running and swimming. Distances can vary but are generally 25 miles on the bike, a 10-kilometer run and mile swimming.

Clark began cycling in 1983, followed by swimming in 1994, then running when he moved to the U.S. to take a position with Alcatel-Lucent as a software engineer.

It's a light year for Clark–he only plans on competing in six triathlons this year. He's through three, so far. "That's a pretty low number," he said while sipping on his second protein shake following an afternoon training session. Clark has competed in as many as 15 triathlons in one season, he said. In total, Clark has participated in 110 triathlons.

Still, "I try to not let it define me," Clark said. "I try to be family first."

Having an athletic wife helps. Hillary Clark, his bride of six years, just completed the Boston Marathon.

Clark admits, however, that competitions, such as the Ironman in Hawaii, can consume large parts of his life. Currently, his training schedule consists weekly of 50 miles running, 200 miles on the bike, swimming 10,000 yards. "Most of my training is part of my commute, be it swimming at the crack of dawn, or simply running or cycling the 11.5 miles to work," he said. "Having showers and an all-day cafeteria at Alcatel-Lucent is really good."

One great benefit to training, Clark said, is "you can pretty much eat whatever you want." During one competition, Clark was consuming about 5,500 calories a day, which one would be hard-pressed to find in his six-foot-five, 180 pound frame.

Besides training, his job and his family, Clark began coaching triathletes last year. "I've been sharing advice for a long time, so I decided to be more serious," he said.

For anyone interested in getting involved in triathlons, Clark recommended joining a local club, like the Paramount Adventures Triathlon Club or The Sneaker Factory running club, where Clark met his wife. "It's worthwhile to join a club," he said. "You'll meet a lot of like-minded people."

Clark said as a competitive triathlete, he has goals, which he wants to achieve.

"Training is hard," he said. "It makes it a lot easier if you have something to strive toward."